Better than Winter Solstice
by writer writing
Summary: Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve spend Eve's first Winter Solstice with Cyrene, and Xena and Gabrielle speculate about one of David's psalms.


"Last chance," Xena warned Gabrielle. They could see the tavern ahead through the swirling snow. "You don't have to spend Winter Solstice with my mother. You could go to see your family. You still have time to make it to Potidaea for the New Year at least."

"No, you and Eve are my family," Gabrielle insisted. "I'll visit with them after the holidays."

"As long as you're sure," she said before rapping on the door.

"You made it just in time for Winter Solstice!" Cyrene exclaimed upon opening the door. "I was starting to worry you wouldn't make it." She immediately took Eve from Xena's arms. She pulled the blanket back that had been protecting Eve from the snow and cold wind. "Look at you with your rosy cheeks. Let's bring you next to the fire. Grandma's so happy to see you."

Xena and Gabrielle both smiled at Cyrene's enthusiasm, glad they had made it in time. "Not everyone takes the holiday off," Xena explained. "We ran into plenty of trouble on the way." They'd met a warlord, a band of thieves, and a demigod with an attitude problem, so whether they arrived in time for Winter Solstice had been a little iffy at one point.

Xena surveyed the tavern before she took off her coat. It looked the same as always except for the decorations and the tons of presents that circled the bottom of the tree.

"Most of them are Eve's," Cyrene said proudly, noticing where her daughter's eyes were.

"You didn't have to get her all of these things," Xena admonished.

"It's my right as a grandmother," Cyrene said. "I know you have to travel light, but it gives her plenty to play with when you come for visits."

"I see," Xena said with a twinkle in her eye. "So this is all a ploy to get us to visit more often."

"Guilty as charged," Cyrene admitted with a smile. She reached over and picked a dried apple ornament from the tree and gave it to Eve to play with and suck on.

Xena spotted a black box with an even blacker ribbon tied around it that set under the tree with the other presents. She knew exactly who it came from. "We better check that one for poisonous snakes," she said dryly.

Cyrene's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't remember getting that one. I must be getting forgetful."

"I doubt it, Mother. I believe someone else got it for her," she said, looking upward with an annoyed expression.

Gabrielle went over to investigate it. "It has Eve's name on it." She opened it up. It was a toy sword. Gabrielle picked it up and tested it against her hand. "It actually seems harmless," Gabrielle said, putting the lid back on and retying the ribbon.

"I find that hard to believe," Xena said with a bite in her voice, but secretly she had known the present would be safe. She was beginning to believe that Ares wasn't out to kill Eve whatever his reasoning was, but she still wouldn't trust him not to side with his family when the time came.

Cyrene put Eve down in Xena's old crib that she had dragged out from storage, cleaned, and put warm fuzzy blankets into. "I have to get the food together for the Winter Solstice party."

"Would you like some help?" Gabrielle volunteered.

"Of course. I practically invited all of Amphipolis."

Xena didn't doubt it, and she didn't volunteer for kitchen duty, knowing she'd be more of a help if she stayed out of their way. Besides, someone had to keep an eye on active Eve, who had climbed out of her crib and was making for the ornaments on the tree just as fast as she could crawl.

"I can just imagine what a glittering temptation that is to you, my dear, but I believe Grandma would like to keep her tree standing." Taking Eve's stuffed hydra and the apple ornament, she moved Eve to the opposite side of the room to play away from temptation.

An hour later all the tables were brimming with food. Cyrene and Gabrielle had just carried in a bowl of punch when there was a knock on the door.

"We'll open presents after the party. Right now I have to show off my darling granddaughter," Cyrene said in a cooing voice, directing the last part more to Eve than Xena, and she picked Eve up from the rug and answered the door.

There was plenty of chatter and caroling as the tavern became full with neighbors. Glasses were clinking and sloshing with punch. It was just like all the other Winter Solstice celebrations Xena remembered growing up, which should have brought her a measure of joy, but it didn't. It was not that she didn't enjoy being with her mother, but the noise was starting to get to her. She stole a glance at her infant daughter. Eve was enjoying the attention and watching all the people. Xena quietly slipped out from the party.

Gabrielle noticed when Xena went missing from the party and wrapped a shawl around herself and joined her outside. Xena looked as if she were studying something in horizon, but Gabrielle knew she was only seeking a little peace and solitude. The snow had stopped and the sky had cleared, leaving only a sparkling, white blanket on the ground as proof that it had been snowing earlier.

"I like winter as much as the next person," Xena said, breaking the silence, "but all the traditions can be a little overwhelming at times, especially when they involve tons of talkative people."

"I understand. Oh, I got a new scroll from David," Gabrielle said.

"Your boyfriend is still sending you poetry?" Xena teased.

"He's not my boyfriend. He just knows how much I love his writing. He shares his writing with me as one writer to another."

"Well, what does it say?" she asked.

Gabrielle unfurled the scroll she had tucked at her side and began to read. "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Isn't that beautiful?" Gabrielle said with a contented sigh.

"It's lovely. What does it mean?" Xena asked. Poetry had never been her strong suit, but somehow it had given her chills. Of course, it could have just been the wind.

"It means that salvation is coming," she said with surety in her voice.

"Salvation from what?" Xena asked. Images of monsters and the gods flashed through her mind.

"The darkness. The darkness outside us and the darkness in us. We need rescuing, and I'm beginning to think David's god can do it. And did you catch it? All the earth, all the nations. He's not just going to bring salvation for His own nation. He's bringing salvation for us too. What god do you know that cares what happens to people beyond his own land? For that matter, what god do you know that cares about people in his land?"

"That's easy. I don't," she said darkly.

"A god who wants to bring joy," Gabrielle said speculatively with a look of euphoria still on her face. "I can't imagine what the salvation will look like, but like David, I know within the depths of my soul that it's coming." She looked to the sky as if she almost expected there to be a sudden sign in the stars, pointing the way to this salvation.

Xena followed Gabrielle's gaze to the clear sky. There was nothing in the stars that was out of the ordinary, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from its beauty. Salvation was coming. Salvation from her own dark soul. A soul that couldn't seem to find redemption even after all the good she had tried to accomplish in an effort to outweigh the bad. She prayed to the God of David and the God of the Israelites that Gabrielle was right and that she could have this salvation when it came. A peace descended on her, and somehow she knew that He had heard her. One day there would be a better reason to celebrate than Winter Solstice.

The End

"For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

Have a Merry Christmas!


End file.
